Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen (7 page)

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour the cake pans.

2. Make the cake layers: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, butter, and shortening. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well.

3. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the batter in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour. Mix well. Stir in the pecans, coconut, and vanilla.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with the mixer. (The peaks will stay standing when you remove the beaters.) Gently fold into the batter.

5. Pour the batter into the pans. Bake until the layers start to pull away at the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of a layer comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

6. Let the layers cool in the pans for a few minutes, then run a spatula around the sides and invert the layers onto a wire rack to cool completely.

7. While the layers are cooling, make the frosting: Beat together the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar with the mixer until fluffy. (The frosting will appear stiff at first, but will soften as you mix it.)

8. When the cake layers are cool, frost the top of one layer. Put another layer on top and frost that layer. Put the last layer on top and frost the top and sprinkle with the pecans.

A Note from Miss Kay

This is another of Jase’s favorite recipes. Italian Crème Cake takes a little longer to make than a cake from a mix, so it really says, “I love you.”

Willie’s Favorite Roast with Vegetables

Makes 2 to 3 servings per pound of meat • Dutch oven or roasting pan

Cooking oil

Salt and black pepper

1 boneless chuck, sirloin tip, rib eye, or rump roast, 3 to 4 pounds

All-purpose flour

New or red potatoes (3 per person) or large white butter potatoes (1 per person)

Duck Commander Cajun Seasoning (mild or zesty) or other Cajun seasoning (optional)

1 pound carrots, peeled, ends cut off, cut in large chunks

1 medium onion, peeled and left whole

Fresh mushrooms, as many as you like (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 300°F.

2. Put about 1 inch of oil in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium.

3. Salt and pepper the roast, then coat it with flour. Put the roast in the pan; brown the outside, turning it to get all sides browned. Remove the roast from the pan, drain off the oil, and put the roast back in the pan.

4. If you’re using large potatoes, peel and quarter them. You can leave small, fresh new potatoes whole. In a mixing bowl, roll the potatoes in a little oil to coat them. Add the seasoning (or just salt and pepper) to taste and make sure they’re seasoned all over. Add the potatoes to the pan.

5. Add the carrots, onion, and mushrooms, if using. (The vegetables need to be chunky so they won’t cook too quickly.)

6. Bake for 20 minutes per pound, usually 2
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to 3 hours, according to the size roast.

7. Remove from the oven and transfer the meat and vegetables to a platter. Use the drippings in the pan to make gravy.

A Note from Miss Kay

There was a time when roast was the Sunday meal instead of something from the local restaurant. It was and still is something you can put in the oven when you leave for church and it will be perfect when you arrive home three hours later. The entire meal is in one pot—meat and vegetables. In our family, Phil makes a regular brown gravy with the drippings. Add a salad and rolls and you’re done!

Jep’s Pick, Chicken Fajitas

Makes 8 to 10 fajitas • Deep skillet (cast-iron or regular) with a lid • Small skillet

1
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sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, plus more for the tortillas

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bell pepper, chopped

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white onion, chopped

4 to 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

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cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1 teaspoon salt

Duck Commander Cajun Seasoning (mild or zesty)

8 to 10 flour tortillas (7-inch size)

Toppings: shredded cheese, lettuce, sour cream, salsa

1. Combine the butter, bell pepper, and onion in the skillet and cook on medium-high heat until the vegetables are softened.

2. Add the chicken, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, salt, and Cajun seasoning to taste. Cover with a lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has cooked out of the pot and the chicken is cooked through.

3. While the chicken is cooking, melt a small amount of butter in the small skillet. Cook a single tortilla at a time on both sides on medium heat until it is browned. Repeat for all tortillas.

4. Fill the tortillas with the chicken-vegetable mix. Top with your desired toppings and serve.

A Note from Miss Kay

This is Missy’s recipe, and everyone in the family loves it. I wanted to include it and this seemed like the best chapter for it since it’s a favorite of Jep’s. There are lots of variations to this recipe, so have fun with it.

Willie’s Choice, Deviled Eggs

Makes 24 deviled eggs

12 large eggs

2 tablespoons sweet relish

1
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teaspoons dill pickle relish

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

About
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cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

Salt and black pepper

Paprika (optional)

1. Boil and peel eggs (see Tips). If the eggs aren’t cold, chill them.

2. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the yolks with a spoon and put them in a bowl. Add the relishes, mustard, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper. Mash all the ingredients together, then taste. Add more mustard, salt, and pepper if you think it’s needed. More mayonnaise can be added if it seems dry.

3. Spoon back into the egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

Tips for Hard-Boiling & Peeling Eggs

Put the eggs in a saucepan that has a lid and cover with water. Set on the burner on high and bring the water to a boil. As soon as it reaches a rapid boil, remove the pot from the stove and cover it tightly. Set the timer for 17 minutes for large eggs or 20 minutes for extra-large eggs. When the timer goes off, drain the hot water.

My peeling technique is to drain the hot water, crack the eggshells all over, then cover them with cold water or run cold water over them. This makes getting the shells off easier.

A Note from Miss Kay

Why do we all love deviled eggs? Because they are so good! Deviled eggs are a “try a little this and a little that” kind of recipe, so experiment for yourself. You can’t go wrong. Whatever you do, I promise, they will disappear.

Willie’s Favorite Fried Chicken

Makes about 4 servings • Large deep cast-iron skillet with a lid
Deep-fry thermometer (if you fry a lot, you won’t need this; you’ll just know)